Manually operated projectile throwing device for games



Nov. 3, 1970 7 B. GOLDBERG 3,537,707

I MANUALLY OPERATED PROJECT'ILE THROWING DEVICE FOR GAMES IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent 3,537,707 MANUALLY OPERATED PROJECTILE THROW- INGDEVICE FOR GAMES Benjamin Goldberg, 603 Brighton Beach Ave., Brooklyn,N.Y. 11235 Filed May 13, 1968, Ser. No. 728,635 Int. Cl. A63b 65/12 US.Cl. 273-101 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A projectile throwingdevice for games wherein a projcctile, such as a small ball, isprojected toward a target. The device comprises a projectile thrower,operating in a transparent casing having: an open back for projectileflight therethrough; a bottom base, inclined for a projectile ball toroll down to the front wall of the casing; and elongated slots in thecasing sidewalls for the thrower handle to project therethroughexteriorly, for manual operation thereof. The thrower is supported inthe casing by its handle resting on the bottom of the slots. The slotsare in elongated form to enable said handle, which is longer than thespan between the casing sides, to be inserted therein; and to providesuitable space to move said handle to suitable positions and directionsfor aiming a projectile toward its target. The thrower is comprised of aholding member body formed with an elongated, shaft-like, handleextending across and beyond the sides at one end of the body; and aprojectile-retaining, elongated, surface-recess extending from theopposite or throwing-end of said body, transversely toward the handle.The said recess is formed with a sloping lip at its throwing-end, fordeflecting the path of a ball, being thrown, to a predetermined angle ofdeparture of the ball from the thrower body, said angle being a factorin controlling the trajectory of the ball in flight. The mode ofoperating the device to pick up, aim, and throw the projectile, is asfollows: With a projectile ball resting at the base and front wall inthe casing, the player, holding the thrower handle ends, shifts thehandle in the elongated slots so as to push the thrower body-recess lipagainst the lower part of the ball and said wall; then turns the handleto raise the thrower body up so that the ball rolls into said recess, tobe held therein preliminary to being thrown; then shifts the handle toposition the thrower into .a desired direction of aim; then makes aquick turning-movement of the handle so that the thrower body turns withsuflicient speed to throw the ball into space in the direction ofwhatever target it is aimed at. The device is adaptable for use with anyof a variety of games of the character mentioned in the disclosure.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in amusement gameapparatus and more particularly to games in which a small ball or marbleor other suitable projectile is propelled through space towards a targetor goal.

One object of this invention is to provide entertaining action gamesthat simulate, on a small scale, comparable objectives in games such asgolf, basketball, skeeball, and other games where the projectile ispropelled at least partly through space.

Another object is to provide novel manual means whereby the projectilecan be picked up, aimed, and projected.

Another object is to provide helpful means whereby a player of thesegames may develop dexterity and skill and coordination of observation,mind, and muscles.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in Patented Nov. 3,1970 the following descriptions and drawings which illustrate onepractical form of my invention.

In the drawings, FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a casingin which a projectile thrower, holding a ball, is in a preliminaryposition to throwing the said ball.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view on line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view showing an arrangement forbasketball play and illustrating diagrammatically, in combination withFIG. 2, the method of play and correlation of the projectile throwerwith the target or goal in games of this character.

In the drawings, numeral 1 designates a projectile holding memberextending transversely from its handle, the round shaft 2. Holdingmember 1 is provided with a sloping lip 3. The combination of shaft andmember can be integrally made of plastic, metal, or other suitablematerial by molding, stamping, or other suitable known manner. The endsof shaft 2 project through slots 4 of casing sides 5. The casing is atransparent enclosure with two sides 5, front 6, and top 7. The casingis open at the back which faces the target or goal. Base -8, in thecasing, and attached thereto, is inclinded downward to front 6. Thecasing, including its base, may be of any suitable material, preferablyplastics, and can be constructed in any suitable known manner. Numeral 9designates a ball projectile, 10 a backboard which supports abasket-like goal 11.

The drawing of FIG. 2 illustrates how the projectile throwing device maybe used. The projectile ball is picked up, aimed, and propelled bymanipulating the projecting ends of shaft 2 with the players fingers.When said ball 9 is laying on base 8 at front 6, holding member 1 ispushed under the ball, then, keeping the ball pressed against front 6,turned up so that the ball rolls into and is retained in said holdingmembers concavity. Shaft 2 is then shifted around in slots 4 to adesired position of aim and then ball 9 is projected from member 1 bymeans of a swift twirl of shaft 2.

When a ball is resting in the projectile holding member and said memberis given a swift semi-circular twirl, centrifugal action forces the ballto move outwardly to the lip, of said member, from which it flies off atan angle that is partly dependant on the structure of said lip. Thus,the lip arrangement affects the height of the trajectory of flight ofthe ball. Were lip 3, in the drawings, constructed so that it protrudesinto the said outwardly movement of the ball, the ball would be impelledto a lower trajectory than that which would result from the recedingconstruction of the lip as shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 3 illustrates a small-scale type of simulated basketball game thatmay be played with the projectile throwing device. the backboard 10 madeof suitable solid material, preferrably of wood, to enable a ball torebound after striking it, may be attached in known manner at the backof the enclosing casing of the projectile thrower, thus making acompletely enclosed game unit in which the projectile ball will rollback after being thrown, down the inclined base 8 to front 6 where itwill be in position again for being picked up with the said holdingmember 1.

Another arrangement of the game apparatus may be used, as illustrated inFIG. 3, where the backboard is made, in known manner, as a self-standingunit spaced at an open distance away from the projectile thrower. Inthis case, the ball, after being thrown, is picked up by hand and placedeither directly into the projectile holding member 1, or placed on theinclined base 8 so it will roll to the front 6 and be in position againfor pickup by the projectile holding member 1.

The projectile throwing device may be combined in known manner withother suitable types of games in which a projectile is thrown towardtargets or goals.

While I have described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is to be understood that modifications may be made asdesired without departing from the spirit and the scope of the inventionas claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A projectile throwing device for games comprising: a projectilethrower having a holding member body formed with an elongated handle atone end of said body extending transversely a substantial length beyondboth sides of the body, and a surface-recess, for holding a ballshapedprojectile, at the opposite or throwing-end of the body; in combinationwith a generally rectangular throwing-area chamber having abottom-forming base attached to a generally transparent casing having anopen back and comprising a front wall, and two sidewalls, each saidsidewall having an aperture intermediate the periphery thereof, said twoapertures aligned with each other for reception of said handle, saidhandle removably extending through said casing and apertures with itssaid member body inside the casing and its end portions outside thereoffor manual operation, said handle being freely supported by the bottomedges of said apertures for slidable and rollable movement therein, saidcasing having a projectile pickup location, said location comprising thegeneral vicinity at said front wall bottom in the casing.

2. The projectile thrower of claim 1, wherein said holding member bodyis formed with an elongated concave surface-recess extending mediallyfrom said body throwing-end transversely toward and terminating short ofsaid handle.

3. The projectile thrower of claim 2, wherein said member body isfurther characterized by being provided with deflecting means fordirecting the projectile ball, being thrown, to a predetermined angle,relative to said body, of departure from said body, said meanscomprising a sloping lip structure at said throwing-end of said recess.

4. The combination of claim 1, wherein said sidewall apertures are inthe form of generally horizontal elongated slots, said slots comprisingmeans for supporting said elongated handle, by the bottom edges therein,in a range of varying span, and for defining an area wherein said slotspermit manual shifting of said handle to a substantial distance towardsaid front wall for projectile pickup, or oppositely toward a targetdirection, and to be positioned in axially transverse or angularrelations to said sidewalls.

5. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said base is inclineddownwardly to said front wall, said incline comprising automatic meansfor a spheric ball projectile landing on said base to position itself atsaid front wall pickup location.

6. The combination of the projectile throwing device, as defined inclaim 1, with at least one spherical ball for projectile function, abackboard attached to said casing at said open back and closing saidopen back, at least one target suitably mounted on said backboard forsaid ball to be thrown at, and automatic means to return said ball,after being thrown, to said pickup location, said means comprising saidbase having its surface inclined downwardly to said front wall.

7. A method of using the apparatus defined in claim 8, said methodcomprising the following procedure: with said ball resting at saidpickup location, the player, holding said thrower handle ends with bothhands, shifts the handle in said elongated slots to push said bodythrowingend against the underpart of said ball and said front wall; thenturns the handle to turn said thrower body up so that the ball rollsinto said body recess, to be held therein preliminary to being thrown;then shifts the handle to position the thrower into a desired directionof aim; then makes a quick turning-movement of the handle so that thethrower body turns with sulficient speed to throw the ball into spacetoward the target aimed at, said ball after striking target or saidbackboard drops down to said inclined base and rolls back to said pickuplocation for being played again in the same manner.

8. The combination of the projectile throwing device as defined in claim1, with at least one projectile ball, an upstanding backboard attachedto a supporting base and remotely spaced longitudinally from said openback of said casing, and at least one target mounted on said backboardfor said ball to be thrown at.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 639,719 12/1899 Farnum 124-4431,211 7/1890 Merrill 124-4 XR 1,551,858 9/1925 Tratsch 273-101 XR2,103,167 12/1937 Morrison 273101 GEORGE J. MARLO, Primary Examiner W.R. BROWNE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. x.R.

